Switch



May 31 'r. c. MAHON ET AL SWITCH Filed April 22. 1925 INVENTORS 7i/oMAs C.MAHDN BY don/v ERNEST //ARR/so- 'rToRNEY5 Patented May 31, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS C. MAI-ION, OF VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, AND JOHN ERNEST HAR- RISON, OF VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.

SWITCH.

Application filed April 22, 1925.

Our invention relates to improvements in switches, the particular objects of which are to provide means whereby the switching of? of the head lamps of a car, motorcycle or other vehicle, will be delayed. until the side lights or spot light is switched on, so that no period of nonillumination of the road ahead exists and the consequent danger of accident to the car and driver is eliminated, to provide means whereby the movenent of the switch lever alone is insufiicient to turn 01f all lights, and to provide means whereby the switch is normally locked in inoperative position during the daylight period.

The invention consists essentially of a switch block having radially disposed contact points and a switch arm which is adapted when in operative position, to establish contact to close one or more circuits through said contact points, as will be more fully described in'the following specification, in which Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the switch.

Fig. 2 is a planview showing the switch in inoperative position.

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the first circuit closed.

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the first and second circuits closed.

a Fig. 5 is a plan View showing the second circuit closed.

v Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the circuits as adapted foruse on a! car.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

The numeral 1 indicates the switch case which is preferably provided, on the underside, with a. fastening lug-2, by which the switch is secured and grounded to a spoke 3 of the steering wheel of the car. An outlet lhaving a coiled wire conductor tube 5 extends from the case through which the several conductors lead to the different circuits.

The nume'al 6 indicates a cover secured upon the case by any suitable means. Secured to thebase of the case 1 is an insulated base 7 in which are fitted terminalsS and 9, the terminal 8 being adapted to receive the positive lead from the head lights 10, see Figure 6, and the terminal 9 to receive the positive lead from the side lights 11 and the spot light 12. A connection 13 extends from Serial No. 25,025.

each of the terminals 8 and 9 to contact points 14 and 15 which are preferably rounded their upper extremities and project slightly above the base 7.

The numeral 16 indicates a switch lever having switch arms 17 and 18 which are slightly cupped from the underside as at 19 so as to produce a slight resistance to movement of the switch lever when either of the cups are disposed upon the contact point 14 or 15 with which it is adapted to register. The lever 16 is provided with a luminous spot 20 for the purpose of enabling the driver to detect its position at night without diiiiculty. The lever is fulcrumed upon a stud 21 extending through the insulated base 7' to the case 1 to form a ground or common connection to the several circuits, and is provided with a light coi spring 22 which is adapted to move the lever, when released from the of? position into the position shown in Figure 3 with the side and spot light circuit closed. A small aperture 23 is formed in the lever arm 17 which is adapted to register with a similar aperture 2% in the base 7 and a spring pressed pin 25 is mounted in the cover 6 which is adapted to project through the aperture 23 and into the aperture 24: to hold the switch arms in the off position shown in Figure 2.

The numerals 26 and 27 indicate pins mounted in the base 7 which form stops to limit the radial movement of the switch arms and lever, the pin 26 serving also as a guide to the point of register between the apertures 23 and 24 to permit of the pin 25 being readily inserted when desired.

The numeral 28 indicates a ground or common return lead from the head, side and spot lights, and 29 is a battery for illuminating the light bulbs thereof.

Having thus described the several parts of our invention we will now briefly explain its operation.

During daylight driving the switch is left in the oil posit-ion with the spring pressed pin 25 projecting through the aperture of the lever arm 17 to hold the lever against inadvertent movement.

When lighting is deemed necessary the pin 25 is raised, releasing the arm 17 from the stop 26 when the energy of the spring 22 moves the lever 16 to the left until a contact is established between the arm 18 and the contact point 15, thus closing the head light circuit through the leads 8 and 28. On approaching an oncoming car, the driver moves the lever 16, which is rendered visible by the luminous spot 20, to the left which first brings the switch arm 17 into contact with the contact pin 14, closing the side and spot light circuits to illuminate their bulbs and subsequently moving the switch arm 18 out of contact with the contact point 15, thus breaking the headlight circuit, when this position of the switch is reached the contact point 14 registers with one of the cups 19 so that reasonable effort is required on the part of the driver to move the lever back to again close the headlight circuit.

It will thus be seen that we have invented a simple lighting switch for automobiles and the like, which will enable one lighting circuit to be closed before another is opened, which is visible in semi-obscurity and which will render night driving safer than is con veniently possible with the present type of switch.

hat we claim as our invention is:

1. A multiple circuit switch comprising a pivotally mounted movable contact, a plurality of stationary contacts adapted to cooperate with said movable cont-act for controlling a plurality of circuits, a housing enclosing said contacts a movable locking pin supported by the housing and adapted to engage said movable contact to hold same in a. switch opening position out of engagement with all of said stationary contacts, a spring acting automatically on release of said locking pin to shift said movable contact into engagement with one of said stationary contacts to close one of said circuits, said movable contact being manually operable subsequent to the action of said spring to dispose the movable contact in adsecond position engaging another of said stationary contacts without disengaging said first mentioned stationary contact whereby a second circuit is completed by the movable contact subsequent to completion of the initial circuit and without occasioning disruption thereof.

'2. A switch as recited in claim 1 in which the movable contact is capable of manual shifting to a third position in which said movable contact is disengaged with the initially engaged stationary contact to disrupt the initially completed circuit without disengaging said movable contact with the other stationary contact through which the second established circuit is completed.

3. A switch of the character described comprising a pivotally mounted movable contact having a handle at one end and bifurcated at the opposite end to provide spaced movable contact arms, a pair of stationary contacts adapted to be selectively engaged by said arms, a releasable latching device for holding said arms in the switch opening position out of engagement with both of said stationary contacts, means functioning automatically on release of said latching device to shift the movable contact in a direction to engage one of the said arms with one of said stationary contacts, said movable contact being subsequently shift-able to a further extentin the same direction by means of said handle to engage the remaining arm with the remaining stationary contact without disrupting the engagement between the first mentioned. arm and stationary contact, said handle being operable to effect a further shifting of the movable contact in the same direction to disrupt the engagement between the first mentioned arm and stationary contact without disrupting the engagement between the second mentioned arm and stationary contact, the arrangement being such that a plurality of circuits may be successively established through a step by step movement of the movable contact in one direction and then broken in the order of their establishment by a continued shifting of the said movable contact in the same direction, there being a point in the shifting of the movable contact in which all of the circuits controlled by said contacts are closed preparatory to disruption of'the initially established circuit.

Dated at Vancouver, B. (1., this 15th day of April, 1925.

THOMAS C. MAHON. JOHN ERNEST HARRISON. 

